Holiday Music

[TimmyB]

The snow is falling outside, I just heard a "commercial" on Spinner for their holiday music channels, and it got me to wondering... if you're into this kind of thing... what is your favorite kind of holiday music?

[KCBOOMER]

Once it is Xmas season I really enjoy the Xmas music performed by the great pop singers.

[b-ball-lunachik]

I voted pop/rock but I also like the classics! I buy at least one Christmas CD a year -- usually more like 3! :D I'm such a Christmas geek -- love everything about it and love having the music playing while I'm baking or wrapping gifts!

I bought a couple this year already -- one was a group of classics most of which I had on other CDs but most of the profits go to Toys for Tots and it was only $4.99.

Last year I bought the Jewel CD and it is awesome -- she really has a beautiful voice and it's one of my favorites.

[TimmyB]

Christmas Geeks, Unite!

I really, really, really like Vince Guaraldi's Charlie Brown CD, and the Chieftan's "Bells of Dublin" may be my top Christmas CD... like... ever.

But, as a whole, I pick "classic". I would never in a million years listen to Perry Como or Mitch Miller or Robert Goulet during the other 11 months of the year, but come Thanksgiving Day, I'm hopeless. I mean... Johnny Mathis -- my MOTHER listens to Johnny Mathis. The four CDs that make up the Time-Life sets (vol 1 and 2) pretty much rule my Christmas listening.

Add the 20+ other Christmas CDs and that's about the only music I hear for the next 5-6 weeks.

[pwdennis]

Classic - all the way (almost) - Bing, Frank, Nat, Ella, Perry, Johnny

I do have a fondness for Ernest Tubb's BLUE CHRISTMAS album

A few years ago Lorrie Morgan, a country singer, issued a nice "classic pop" Christmas album with the London Symphony Orchestra - probably my favorite Christmas album of the last 15 years

[WiredTiger]

Originally posted by TimmyB

I really, really, really like Vince Guaraldi's Charlie Brown CD :agree: The best Christmas album ever. Part of the reason I picked the Jazz category.

I do like the classics too.
Best Classic: Rocking Around the Christmas Tree
Worst Classic: It's baby's first Christmas.
Best Novelty Classic: I Want a Hippomatus for Christmas

[TimmyB]

My nod for Best Novelty Classic goes to "The Twelve Pains of Christmas"

[Craig S.]

I picked the classics, although I really enjoy certain pop albums, usually the compilations like "A Very Special Christmas."

[JamesI]

I'm a sucker for the classics (but not until after Thanksgiving. Still too early now)

[satchel]

Originally posted by JamesI
(but not until after Thanksgiving. Still too early now)

Is it just me, or is the holiday hype starting a little earlier than usual this year? Maybe it's the sluggish economy - retailers are worried about folks opening up their checkbooks so they are starting the onslaught early this year.

As for the topic, I'm afraid I voted "none." Where holiday music is concerned, I have to admit I can't stand the stuff, and I pine longingly each winter awaiting the moment that the constant barrage of themed music and decoration finally ceases.

But I don't want to pee on anyone's party, so for the benefit of all you folks who do enjoy it (not that there's anything wrong with that ;) ) I'll bow out of this thread. :)

[hmrsf]

I love all of it. My favoite is a tape my mother's church group did (it's really funny). I have all different kinds some with barking dogs and kids singing badly, some are classics and some are just plain strange. I just love them all. :D

It is almost time to bring down those boxes of holiday decorations. I swear they breed in the attic over the summer.:p

[Ytown Tribe fan]

I love the Celtic Christmas samplers from Windham Hill Records; Karen loves the classics and the kids like Alvin and the Chipmonks.

[Gosfgiants]

Bah humbug. I don't like Christmas music. This mainly due to the fact that I don't like Christmas. Every year I get overwhelmed by the whole vortex that is the holidays. Christmas music is just one more part of that the whole rigamorole. I wish I could fast forward from Thanksgiving to New Years.

[pwdennis]

For years my son-in-law would rag me that I should play my Boxcar Willie Christmas tape for him. While I have several vinyl LPs of Lecil "Boxcar Willie" Martin's music, I wasn't aware that there was such a tape. I searched the internet and found a privately distributed recording of Boxcar Willie Christmas favorites, which I purchased and gave to him about three years ago.

Now he feels obliged to play it at least once each Christmas !

Alas, Boxcar Willie has passed on to his reward

[rcartman28]

Generally classic. Most "rock and roll" and "country" Christmas songs just make me laugh or wanna puke.

We have a station here in Minneapolis-St Paul that is going to play nothing but Christmas songs starting the day after Thanksgiving. They probably play more commercials than songs, and I'll probably be sick of a lot of the songs by Christmas, but it will be a nice change of pace.....

[TimmyB]

Originally posted by satchel
Is it just me, or is the holiday hype starting a little earlier than usual this year? Maybe it's the sluggish economy - retailers are worried about folks opening up their checkbooks so they are starting the onslaught early this year.

No, I don't think it's you.

Actually, this isn't worst year I've seen. Back in the late '80s or early '90s (soooooo long ago, it's hard to remember -- oh, no, wait, I was just in college) our local mall had the holiday decorations up in August/September. That was obnoxious, crass, etc., etc. It was, however, during an economic downturn (deeper than this one), so this may have something to do with the Pre-Thanksgiving, pre-Halloween Christmas ads.

(If the subject of "Christmas" comes up in October, it had better be preceded by "The Nightmare Before...").

(Hmm... speaking of great holiday songs...)

[pathogan]

...though i love, LOVE Christmas music.I mean most things[schlock is schlock] everyhting for Guaraldi's masterpiece, to brubeck, to ellas swinging christmas to blues christmas, to oscar peterson to Aquatania by sequentia to anonymous 4, form celtic christmas to the bells of dublin[despite that awful kackson browne number},from frank sinatra to tony bennet, perry como to nat king cole, from bruce Cockburns wonderful, excellent christmas album to the Revells Christams albums, the Boys Choir of Harlem to the Vienna Choir boys,to traditional polish christmas music to russian christmas music, from french carols to a Gregorian Chant for christmas.I love it...

[hmrsf]

Originally posted by Gosfgiants
Bah humbug. I don't like Christmas music. This mainly due to the fact that I don't like Christmas. Every year I get overwhelmed by the whole vortex that is the holidays. Christmas music is just one more part of that the whole rigamorole. I wish I could fast forward from Thanksgiving to New Years.

I shop for Christmas all year long! Find great stuff during vacation.

By December I stop. To me, it is a very holy time. I tend to bake and give of myself during that time.

I never lost that magic of Christmas time. Yes it can get hetic, yes there is too much stuff............guess I never grew up!

Are you grown ups having fun?:p Feel free to have a snow ball fight at my house. I make a great coco!:D Christmas is what you make of it. Create the magic.

[TimmyB]

Originally posted by hmrsf
I shop for Christmas all year long! Find great stuff during vacation.

My wife showed me this little trick. While I never used to get stressed out during the post-Thanksgiving time, I find now that December is a much more relaxing month. I have a lot more time to... well... listen to Christmas music and otherwise reflect on the season.

[WiredTiger]

Originally posted by hmrsf
I tend to bake and give of myself during that time.
:homer: mmmmmm...... Christmas cookies.

[gyb13]

not too big on holiday music myself, or on the holidays for that matter... so i'll keep on listening to my classic rock, jazz, and blues throughout the holidays :)

[sweaver]

I vote "religious," but you didn't make that a choice. :D

[TimmyB]

Interesting observation. I didn't even think along those lines as "religious" and "secular" end up in almost every category. Along those lines, I think I'd pick religious, too.

[TimmyB]

Somewhat related to this topic -- an NPR report (Susan Stamberg reporting) on Irving Berlin's "White Christmas":

Still Dreaming of a 'White Christmas' (http://www.npr.org/display_pages/features/feature_850892.html)

[trripleplay]

monks. Gregorian chants. got a real beat to it, dance-able. 95

[Crystal]

I love music that I can bake cookies to during Xmas time...really gets me in the spirt. My favorite music to listen to around this time is Trans Siberian Orchestra. (TSO). Has anyone heard these guys? They are fantastic musicians with a lot of Christmas spirit. They have a website well worth checking out: http://www.trans-siberian.com Enjoy!
-Crystal

[sweaver]

That's right, it's about time to get out the Christmas tunes. Hope I can find them after the move.

Welcome, Crystal!

[WiredTigress]

I love the Christmas music, but not too early in the season. One of my favorites is the Harry Connick, Jr. Christmas CD. WT and I have a large collection of eclectic holiday music.

I agree that the Peanuts Christmas music makes me want to dance like the Peanuts gang.

I like the bunch of it. Bring on the Xmas music - I just don't appreciate the barking dogs and meowing kitties from a few years back.

[pathogan]

I love the Christmas music, but not too early in the season. One of my favorites is the Harry Connick, Jr. Christmas CD. WT and I have a large collection of eclectic holiday music.

I agree that the Peanuts Christmas music makes me want to dance like the Peanuts gang.

I like the bunch of it. Bring on the Xmas music - I just don't appreciate the barking dogs and meowing kitties from a few years back.


...that Guraladi IS christmas for me, and was the subtle into to Jazz for many of us[though my folks liked the Duke and the Count and ella} and yes, I have and like most of the TrasSiberian Orchestra...

[KCBOOMER]

Christmas??? I just my Halloween costume!

[TimmyB]

Thought I'd move this one up... 'tis the season and all that...

[Skip]

My vote would have been "all of the above" if it was there (or at least most of the above).

But ... if my wife pulls out that lame Kenny G Christmas CD again, it's gonna be messy.

[gyb13]

the horror, the horror

[pathogan]

... i have on jessye Normans Christmas album, follwed by pete seegers tradtional Christmas album,[What are Traditional Christmas songs any way? Really traditional ones would be 1st century folk songs from Judea,no?}then john Adams masterpiece,El nino`...great bracing stuff

[satchel]

the horror, the horror
I couldn't agree more. I can't wait until the "season" is over because the inundation of horrible music is enough to make me lose my breakfast.